A special welcome ceremony was held Friday at Ho Chi Minh City’s Cat Lai Port for the 43rd Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP 2016), which is on a four-day visit to the southern metropolis.

As the Japanese ship Nippon Maru safely docked at the port, 329 SSEAYP delegates, who are young leaders of ten Southeast Asian countries and Japan, were warmly greeted by officials from the Ho Chi Minh City Chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and local youth.

Upon arrival, the delegates joined Ho Chi Minh City youth in an exchange program later the same day.

On Saturday, the delegation visited eight different venues, including the headquarters of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in the morning.

After touring the daily’s newsroom, the delegates will join a discussion on information and communication with Tuoi Tre representatives.

SSEAYP 2016 is scheduled to stay in Ho Chi Minh City from November 11 to 14, with a number of exchange activities planned, highlighted by a three-day homestay program from November 12 to 14.

Ten Southeast Asian countries, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, each have 29-member delegations, while Japan has 39 representatives on SSEAYP 2016.  The ship will visit each of the participating countries over the course of its 40 day cruise that began in late October.

Ho Chi Minh City will bid goodbye to the SSEAYP 2016 in the afternoon on November 14 when the ship leaves for Thailand to begin its four-day stop in Bangkok.

Established in 1974, SSEAYP is a cooperative program jointly run by the Japanese government and Southeast Asian countries to foster friendship and a greater understanding among the youth from the participating nations.

Vietnam first joined the program in 1995.

Below are some photos of the welcome ceremony taken by Tuoi Tre.

Leaders from the Ho Chi Minh City Chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union gives flowers to the delegates.  

Vietnamese youth wave flags to welcome the SSEAYP 2016 ship.

Two Japanese delegates with the Vietnamese hat and scarf

The Japanese delegation

Myanmar's delegates receive gifts from Ho Chi Minh City youth.

A Philippine delegate

The Lao delegation

Japanese delegates

The Malaysian delegation

The Myanmar delegation

The Philippine delegation

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